About the CAHF

History of CAHF

Aviation notables gathered in Calgary, March 31, 1973, for the third
investiture of the Order of Icarus. Among those present were C.H. 'Punch'
Dickins, most Senior Companion of the Order; Captain James A. Lovell Jr.,
U.S. astronaut and guest speaker for the evening; and well-known, hard-working
aviators like S.A. 'Sammy' Tomlinson, S.R. 'Stan' McMillan, Walter E. Gilbert,
and Maxwell W. Ward.

The gathering sparked a headline in the Calgary Herald: Hall of Fame
Aviators Gather in Calgary. These words set in motion an idea which gathered
momentum as the year progressed. A founding Board of Directors was created
with C.H. 'Punch' Dickins as Chairman, Donald N. Watson as Vice-Chairman,
and H.W. 'Harry' Hayter as Secretary. Others included Z.L. 'Lewie' Leigh,
P.S. 'Stan' Turner, and L. 'Lindy' Rood. Raymond A. Munro took on the bulk
of the work, and served as the initial Managing Director. Canada's Aviation
Hall of Fame was incorporated August 2, 1973.

This founding Board faced a momentous task. Many questions presented
themselves. Who would be chosen for membership? How many would there be?
Would there be adequate representation of both civilian and military aviators?
By what means would their stories be told? Where would the Hall be located?
How would future Members be selected?

After much discussion and debate, it was decided Members should include all
Companions of the Order of Icarus, all who had been awarded the Trans-Canada
(McKee) Trophy; all recipients of the Victoria Cross in aerial combat;
Alexander Graham Bell and F.W. 'Casey' Baldwin for designing and building the
Silver Dart; and Group Captain John E. Fauquier, to represent Bomber Command,
and Flight Lieutenant George F. 'Buzz' Beurling, to represent Fighter Command,
in World War II. This made a total of 79 original Members, with both civilian
and military exploits well represented.

A great deal of thought was given to where the Hall should be located.
Edmonton? Winnipeg? Toronto? Montreal? All these cities and more had merit.
Should it be in Ottawa with the National Aviation Collection? Should it be a
'movable feast' so that all Canadians might taste our aviation heritage? Finally,
Edmonton, long known as 'The Gateway to the North', was chosen as the place it
would open. The entire Board of Directors, and many volunteers, worked hard to
meet a deadline of July, 1974.

The stories would be told on four by eight foot panels with portraits,
citations, photographs, and memorabilia. Under managing director Ray Munro,
undeniably one of Canada's most colourful promoters of aviation, panels were
manufactured, medals struck, photographs and memorabilia collected, documents,
certificates, stationery and the original Members Book designed and printed.
Irma Coucill was commissioned to complete the Members' portraits.

Over 600 people attended the first Induction Gala on July 16, 1974, hosted by
the City of Edmonton. All living Members and their families, and many of the families
of the 28 deceased Members, were treated to a night they would long remember. The
format of subsequent Induction Galas was set with presentation of medals and
certificates of Membership in the Hall, the Order of Polaris by the Government
of the Yukon, and the Order of Flight by the City of Edmonton. Unique to this
first Gala were metal plaques awarding the Esteemed Brotherhood of Silver Wings
to the original 79 Members by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

A Nomination Review Committee was appointed to accept nominations to Canada's
Aviation Hall of Fame. This committee remains strictly confidential and looks
for unselfish contributions to aviation which have been of major benefit to Canada,
and which have stood the test of time. You, the reader and aviation enthusiast, play
a critical role in this process. In Canada's 90 years of aviation history, there are
many who have not been inducted as Members because they have not been nominated.

The Hall's display officially opened on the first day of Klondike Days, July 17,
1974, in the Sportex Building at the Edmonton Exhibition Grounds. Dismantled and moved
several times in its initial years, it finally found a home in the depths of the
Edmonton Convention Centre. In 1992, when the Reynolds-Alberta Museum opened at
Wetaskiwin, Alberta, just 65 km south of Edmonton, Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
moved to the Aviation Hangar on the same site, with the promise of merging its exhibits
with the extensive Reynolds collection of aircraft. This museum of transportation and
industry is a world-class destination, and the aircraft collection is one of the most
historically significant collections of vintage aircraft in Canada. Canada's Aviation
Hall of Fame is proud to call Wetaskiwin home.

Each story contained herein is just the tip of the iceberg. These extraordinary people
all made contributions to the advancement of aviation in Canada as pilots, aeronautical
engineers, doctors, scientists, or administrators. In the words of Raymond Alan Munro,
all have drunk deep at adventure's well, all have set permanent records for pioneering
achievements ... for enterprise ... for unfailing courage ... that have stood the test
of time.

J.H. 'Jack' Reilly, Hall of Fame Member 1974

Our Vision

Keeping our aviation heroes, leaders and innovators in the hearts and minds of Canadians.

Our Mission

To honour those individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions
to aviation and aerospace in Canada; and to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret
artifacts and documents, thereby inspiring and educating Canadians.

Our Motto

Liberaliter viam monstrabant - Unselfishly they showed the way

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